Brands
The umbrella body for all advertisers in Nigeria, The Advertisers
Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) is poised to scale up its goal of growing Small
and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria with the introduction and
expansion of some categories of this year’s ADVAN Marketing Excellence Awards.
Commentators have indentified one of the new categories -
Marketing on a Shoestring – with a strong capacity to appeal to serious –minded
SMEs. This explains why ADVAN had specifically invited SMEs to submit entries
for this special category that focuses on the maximisation of limited budget in
achieving impact and measurable result.
Commenting on ADVAN’s current focus on SMEs, ADVAN’s President,
David Okeme explained that the decision to open the elite platform to SMEs was
informed by lessons learnt during the World Federation of Advertisers global
conference in Malaysia where bodies like ADVAN were enjoined to open a second
tier membership to accommodate small scale businesses.
Okeme believes that relating with existing ADVAN members would be
of immense benefits to SMEs as they would be interacting with seasoned analysts
and experts who can conveniently dissect key marketing issues, insights and
emerging consumer engagement trends. Okeme also believes that SMEs are
veritable tools that can help Nigeria move out of her current recession.
Also commenting on the tilt towards SMEs by ADVAN, Emmanuel Young,
a member of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and keen commentator
on Marketing issues feels there are other ADVAN Awards categories that should
interest small and medium scale organizations. According to Young, categories
like Experiential Marketing, Innovation, Digital/Social Media Marketing and
Future Leader of Marketing Awards can equally throw up SMEs that can
demonstrate verifiable success in total marketing if they are bold enough to
submit entries.
Speaking in details about the relevance of SMEs, Young further
explained that although global corporations tend to dominate the business
pages, a healthy small business sector is essential to a prosperous economy.
His words: “SMEs play increasingly important roles in ensuring that economic
growth is sustainable. The small business sector makes a huge contribution on
multiple fronts: from employing a diverse workforce and engaging with their
local communities, through to bringing jobs to employment black-spots. It is highly
commendable that ADVAN is trying to motivate growth in this segment. It is
equally commendation that successful ADVAN Award entries by SMEs this year can
give them a direct chance to become ADVAN Member with all the concomitant
benefits”
The ADVAN Awards is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious and
respected awards in the Nigerian marketing community. This year’s Awards nite,
which is its sixth edition, is billed to take place at the prestigious MUSON
centre, Onikan, Lagos on October 29, 2016.
Just like previous editions, the 2016 award is structured for the
express purpose of highlighting the fundamental position marketing occupies in
business and public sectors, besides celebrating outstanding marketing
achievements across a range of industries. According to David Okeme, ADVAN’s
President, this award is part of ADVAN’s greater design to establish the
marketing profession on a sustainable path to greatness. Okeme also feels this
achievement could really be consolidated this year with the ADVAN Awards for
Marketing Excellence now endorsed by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).
Okeme also stated that the Awards Committee tasked with mandate of
organizing a world class event is populated by seasoned marketing professionals
led by the Marketing Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc, Franco Maria Maggi,
who would also serve as Chairman of the 2016 ADVAN Awards.
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